Flight School: Prey

Falling Flight

[X]

The boy did as he was told—buckling up his seatbelt and leaning back against the headboard.

He didn't know the comfort of the First Class seats, and perhaps that might be a blessing in disguise.

For hence, he wouldn't compare. He didn't know what it felt like to be respected, or feared. And hence—he preferred it down here.

At the very bottom of the food chain.

A sharp jerk woke Io out of his daydream and his eyes darted around.

Most of the preys around him seemed to be used to this—however, he did spot a couple of freshmen looking just as frightened as himself.

He was glad he wasn't alone.

He wondered whether Pipa was scared.

The very thought made him stronger, for he felt a connection between them.

Something different from human bonds and relations.

Perhaps stronger.

Perhaps weaker.

He spoke to his Avian, Lyra—and was comforted by her words.

With that, Iolani Tori took a deep breath, feeling the faint vibration of the plane under his fingertips as it gradually sped up.

The unnoticeable whirring sound began to get louder and louder, the plane shook violently, and then he felt a strange lift towards the air—as if it was magic.

Io knew they were flying,

Rising,

Ascending into nothing.

His tiny heart raced with fear. Fear and excitement.

He was in the air.

He was flying.

He was—

There was a nauseous lurch in the poor boy's gut.

His ears felt strange—as if they had been blocked out.

Io reminded himself of his fear of heights, and all of a sudden—his excitement turned into clean fear.

He forced his thoughts aside, gulping.

Realizing that his swallow cleared his ears, Io tried to concentrate on this act in order to forget (momentarily) about his phobia.

An image of extremely small houses and ant-sized people re-surfaced, and Io's hand came up to his mouth in reflex.

He forced the sour lump back into his throat, disgusted.

Water. Water.

The boy was in a desperate need for fresh air and water.

All of a sudden, he missed Pipa's smile terribly.

His hands gripped onto the arm rests on each respective side, praying that the ascend would end anytime soon.

As the belts against his stomach strapped him onto dear life,

As his mind propelled him into the mere opposite of it,